KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain, during his telephonic conversation with Rauf Siddiqui on Monday, expressed annoyance on recent controversial statements issued by the Rabita (coordination) Committee regarding traders and industrialists of the port city.
Speaking to the senior party leader, he said S M Munir, Mian Zahid and Siraj Kassam Teli among other traders and industrialists had been giving him apt suggestions on critical junctures and therefore they must be duly respected.
It may be mentioned that the MQM’s Rabita Committee had issued a statement in the aftermath of a recent strike call by the party, saying a list was being prepared for those traders who did not back the strike call.
Siddiqui also discussed the party’s administrative matters and rapidly changing political and law and order situation of Karachi, Sindh and the country.
The MQM chief said that traders and industrialists were the backbone of Karachi’s economy and belong to a respectable class of the society. “Therefore, Rabita Committee must not issue statements in haste that can hurt me directly,” he added.
The statements come against the backdrop of latest administrative changes among the party ranks as Mustafa Azizabadi has now been appointed as new in-charge of MQM’s Rabita Committee, replacing Qamar Mansoor.
Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Dr Nusrat Shaukat and Amir Khan would be joint in-charge of the committee, said a statement issued on Monday night.
Qamar Mansoor and Arshad Hussain would continue to work as members of the Rabita Committee with inclusion of Kanwar Naveed Jameel and Abdul Haseeb as other members.
MQM chief Altaf Hussain has endorsed the decisions.